Diagnosed with Lymphangiomatosis when she was just six years old, there is new hope for 15-year-old Newcastle resident, Keshmeera Maharaj.
Lymphangiomatosis is a rare condition, believed to be congenital, characterised by a diffuse proliferation of lymphatic vessels that affects the internal organs, bones and soft tissue or skin leading to extensive loss of lymphatic fluid via the skin.
Doctors at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban have managed to control her condition over the past nine years without completely curing the condition. Regardless, Keshmeera has fought the disease better than doctors would have expected. “The doctors have really done their utmost and have never turned us away. They are really surprised at how well she is handling it,” said her mother, Neera Maharaj.
Now going on 10 years, Keshmeera’s plight to find treatment has taken a turn for the better. “She has battled with the disease all through her schooling career, now she just hopes for a normal life and this might be her opportunity,” said Mrs Maharaj.
A collaboration between Kashmeera’s doctors at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital and local practitioner, Dr Rajesh Maharaj, to source a treatment for her rare disease has met with success. The partnership uncovered a specialist in Madrid, Spain who has had some success with treating the disease.
This is a costly affair. The treatment is expected to cost R 200 000 and the family is relying on private sponsorship to raise the funds to cover the cost of the treatment and have recently opened a trust fund to secure the funds.
Anyone willing to lend a hand to Keshmeera’s plight for a cure can donate to the Kashmeera Maharaj Fund at:
ABSA Bank:
Account number: 4084947492
Branch: 632005
Or contact Neven Singh on: 034 315 1946.
